Heart of a Lion (Awakening Pride Book 11)

by Lacey Thor

  As if she needed another reminder of how well he knew and understood her. She wrapped her arms around him and clung for a long moment, ignoring the murmur of voices around her. She’d made her choice. No more testing. No more poking and prodding and making her feel like the experiment Talbot had referred to her as. She was taking back her life.

  “I’m going to speak to Talbot.” Quinn held her hand up before any of them could say a word. “Understand this. I’m not asking for your permission. I’m telling you. I’m going to speak with Talbot. You won’t stop me.”

  Tony snorted. “He said that, as well. Repeated it over and over again like he was stuck on repeat.”

  “She’ll come for me. You won’t stop her.” Once again, it was Mitch who shared what Talbot had said.

  “He’s right,” Quinn warned them. “I am planning to come for him, and you won’t stop me. You can either be a part of it or step out of my way.”

  “I’ll escort you to see him myself,” Tony offered. “You won’t be alone with him no matter what you want. That I won’t give in on.”

  Quinn stared at him for a moment, reading the tension in his frame as if he expected her to argue.

  “I don’t care if you’re there, Tony. I want Mitch with me.”

  She thought for a moment then knew she wouldn’t shut out the woman who’d taken a risk in seeking her out and offering an alliance. No, that wasn’t correct. Amia had offered her friendship.

  “And I’d like Amia to be there.”

  “What?” Abby exclaimed, already shaking her head. “Reno won’t let her get anywhere near Talbot.” Then she stopped, pressing her lips together firmly and giving her head a shake. “And it’s not his choice. God, she’s been through enough at the hands of her father and hunters, in general. It makes me sick to think of her being close to Talbot. It will send Reno into a tailspin. But I know she went to see you, and I know you didn’t just pull her name out of thin air.”

  “No, I didn’t.”

  “I wasn’t throwing words around when I said you weren’t alone. Not when you first arrived and not now. I’ll stand with you and Amia if this is what you both need to do.”

  “Would you say that if Tah were awake?” Quinn asked, wondering if the other woman would stand against her mate if he put his foot down.

  “Absolutely,” Abby answered with a grin. “You don’t really know me yet, Quinn, so I won’t hold that against you. I have my own mind, and though it appears my mate and I are always in sync with one another, we’d had our challenges. Besides, my husband is awake.”

  “What?”

  Quinn’s gaze flew around the room. Tony and Mitch were both surprised. Jess wasn’t. Then again, she remembered that Jess and Abby were best friends and had been long before they’d both met and mated with shifters.

  “Tah and Gabriel woke up this morning. They’re already balking at staying abed and are probably taking full advantage of Abby and I being out of sight.”

  “Definitely,” Abby agreed with Jess.

  “What about your father?” Quinn asked Jess.

  “He’s out of danger. He’s sleeping soundly, and I expect him to wake up any day.”

  Quinn noted the quick look between Tony and Jess then Tony and Mitch. There was something there. Something she planned to get to the bottom of next time she and Mitch were alone.

  “And Vic?” Quinn asked.

  “She’s still in a coma,” Abby admitted. “There’s not much else we can do except wait.”

  God, Quinn knew how hard that was. Hell, she was at the point where she wasn’t waiting any longer.

  “Mind if I talk to Tony real quick?” Mitch asked, interrupting her thoughts.

  “No, go ahead. I’d like to go see Amia anyway.”

  “I’ll meet you back at Tony’s,” Mitch said, dropping a kiss on her lips.

  “I’ll walk with you,” Abby offered. “We can stop by and see Tah first. He’s been asking for you.”

  Quinn felt a shiver of dread go through her. What did the alpha need to say to her?

  Chapter Nineteen

  Mitch watched as Abby, Jess, and Quinn walked away then turned to Tony.

  “Did you give Mueller the serum?” he asked with no preamble.

  “Yes. Jess was desperate. She came to me, asking me to help. I did what I could.”

  “Does she understand the repercussions of what you’ve given him?”

  “I went over what it was and what it did,” Tony assured him. “In detail.”

  “So she knows it’s what has Daniel in a primal state?”

  Tony nodded. “It’s also the base for what we created for Quinn. And, before you ask, yes, she does need it. We’ll start her out with an injection every five days. Then see if we can stretch it further once her levels have evened out and stopped fluctuating.”

  Mitch ran his hand through his hair in frustration. “Do you think Talbot has managed to turn her into a shifter?”

  “Not a question I ever thought I’d be discussing. The mere thought of the science verses nature aspect of creation and—”

  “I don’t need a lecture,” Mitch interrupted. “Answer the damn question.”

  “No, I don’t. But I think nature has taken what he started and run with it.”

  Tony’s words sent chills down Mitch’s spine. “What does that mean? Do you think she’ll become a shifter?”

  How was that even possible?

  “No. I doubt she’ll manifest anything past what she exhibits now. In fact, as she stabilizes, I think we’ll see less of the claws and neon eyes. Unless she feels under attack.”

  Tony clasped his hands across his chest, and Mitch knew he was going over his next words in his head.

  “This is going to sound crazy but hear me out. Here come more words I thought I’d never say, but science be damned. I think Quinn has more than that female shifter’s organs inside her. I think she has a bit of her spirit, as well. And don’t you fucking tell me how crazy that sounds. I know.”

  Tony looked frustrated, but Mitch wasn’t planning to argue with him.

  “I agree with you, so if you’re crazy, so am I. She’s going to need to know who the woman was. She won’t stop until she knows everything she can find out about her.”

  “I know,” Tony agreed. “I’ll do everything I can to help her find those answers. I’ve already got some feelers out on Lander. Don’t say anything to her yet. If I find anything, I’ll let her know. I don’t want to get her hopes up.”

  “I appreciate that.”

  “I’m guessing this is going to pull you from the field for a bit. Having a mate and a child now.”

  Mitch hadn’t thought about it, but Tony was right. He wasn’t planning on leaving Quinn and Emery anytime in the near future.

  “It’s okay,” Tony continued. “I’ve currently got some things in the works anyway that are going to require me to be gone for a bit. I was planning to ask someone to stay behind and handle the day-to-day from here.”

  “What have you got going on?” Mitch demanded.

  “A friend’s gone missing. I blew it off at first. Not the first time it’s happened.”

  “And this time?” Mitch asked when Tony didn’t add more.

  “I don’t know, but I’ve got a tingle at the back of my neck.”

  And Tony never questioned his instincts. They’d proven accurate more times than Mitch could recall. More than once, he’d sent teams into an area that they would have sworn was empty only to stumble across a hidden lab.

  “I’m happy to man the team when you get more details,” Mitch offered.

  “Not this time. This one’s personal.”

  Mitch had a thousand questions, but he doubted Tony would answer any of them. If this one was personal, it meant the friend was someone Tony was close to. Mitch had thought he could name those people on one hand. Apparently, there was even more Tony held close to his chest.

  “Planning to take Aleksy and Lyra with you on this one?”

>   Tony smiled. “Like he’d let me leave without him. Lyra’s concerned, as well, so I wouldn’t be able to leave them behind even if I’d planned to.”

  “Lyra knows this friend?”

  “He’s a mutual friend. We knew him at different times. If fact, Lyra brought him back into my life. Briefly.”

  There was something in Tony’s eyes when he spoke that gave Mitch pause. Tony was more than concerned. He was as close to scared as Mitch had ever seen him.

  “I’ve got to check on David before I head back to the house and make plans for Quinn to meet with Talbot.”

  “When do you think he’ll wake up?” Mitch asked, walking beside Tony as he headed out of the room.

  “Any time now. Could be later today. His wounds are mostly healed. You know how quickly that injection takes effect.”

  “Will he need boosters, as well?” Mitch questioned.

  All of alpha team took boosters when they were going out into the field or if they were injured and needed the kick to speed up healing.

  “That’s not the plan. I told Jess what it was and that I’d used it on Daniel.”

  Mitch paused midstride. “You didn’t tell her you use it on alpha team?”

  “No,” Tony admitted with no remorse. “She didn’t ask. She asked if it was the same thing I’d used on Daniel. It is. I’m not ready to disclose that bit of information yet despite what I said when you mentioned telling Quinn. Jonah’s not comfortable sharing the information. He’s not the only member of alpha team that feels that way.”

  “I’m still planning to tell Quinn about me. Especially knowing she’ll be getting an injection based off it. Anything I can do to ease her uncertainty on that, I’ll share. She deserves that.”

  “I agree, but remember you’re part of the team and be respectful of them, as well,” Tony warned.

  “I will. I can’t imagine her saying anything if I ask her to keep it quiet. If that’s what the team wants, then I’ll do that. But you know living here, this close to the pride, it’s bound to come out. I think Tah and the rest of them would take it a lot better if you came clean sooner rather than later.”

  Tony sighed. “I know. Aleksy’s been telling me the same thing. We’ll have a team meeting before I head out and discuss it in full. You can bring Quinn if you want. Lyra will be there. As far as I’m concerned, Quinn will be part of the group now that the two of you are together. How do you feel about that, by the way? I’ve been so focused on what’s been going on with everyone else that I haven’t checked on you.”

  “I can’t imagine my life without her in it now. She’s amazing. Everything she’s been through. It could have destroyed her.”

  “True.”

  “What?” Mitch asked when he noted Tony staring at his neck as if he were looking for something. Then it hit him. “For God’s sake, Tony. She hasn’t bitten me.”

  “She might, so be prepared.”

  “You just got through telling me she’s not a shifter and won’t exhibit any further attributes of one. Or at least, no new ones. Her teeth are perfectly human.”

  Tony shrugged. “The other side of her might need the bite to feel…included. Quinn might not realize it. Like the desire might be there, but she might question it. With her teeth, it probably won’t remain as it does in other feline shifter couples. You won’t bear a mark on your skin the way Abby and Diane do.”

  “I get that. I’ll play it by ear. We haven’t even gotten that far yet anyway.”

  Tony stopped in the middle of the hallway. “Are you telling me the two of you haven’t had sex yet?”

  “Jesus! Would you keep it down?”

  “Fine. Are you telling me you haven’t—”

  “No. When do you think we’ve had time for that? She was pregnant when we met.”

  “You still slept together every night,” Tony reminded him.

  “Yes, and I held her. We talked. Cuddled. I didn’t instigate anything sexual. That wasn’t what she needed from me.”

  She’d needed a friend first. And as the nights had passed, they’d gotten closer and closer. It had been fast by some standards, but they’d built a foundation formed on conversation and trust. Mitch felt that would serve them better in the long term considering what they’d be dealing with.

  “I never took you as a cuddler.”

  “Shut up,” Mitch warned.

  “Okay. She’s not pregnant anymore.”

  “No, she’s not. But she was shot. Had a major surgery—you might remember that as you were the one who removed her ovary and uterus. Then she was shot a second time while she was still recovering from the first. What kind of man do you think I am, Tony?”

  “Sorry, I wasn’t thinking. I know your honor code, and I know you’re old school when it comes to women. For what it’s worth, I think your sister would have liked Quinn and vice versa.”

  “Thank you. I haven’t told her about Misty and Walt yet, but I will.”

  “You’ve done everything right with Quinn. You’ve put her first. Hell, I’ve been around shifters so much, I’ve forgotten not everyone falls fast and hard when they first meet. Whatever you two need, I’m there for you.”

  “Thanks, Tony. I’m glad you said that.”

  Tony gave him a long, assessing look. “Why do I feel like taking that last sentence back?”

  “Because I have an idea. One you might not like, but I need you to hear me out.”

  “This is about Talbot, isn’t it?”

  Mitch nodded. “I think it’s time we let him out of his cage and brought him here.”

  “No,” Tony said, the quiet tone letting Mitch know how serious Tony was.

  “I said hear me out. I’m not saying to move him for good. But you know Quinn won’t speak to him alone.”

  “I gathered that earlier.” Tony didn’t look impressed.

  “At minimum, it will be me and Quinn, and Reno and Amia. I’d place my bet that Tah will be there, as well. Holloway will want to be present also. Jonah won’t be left out. You’ll be there. And my gut says we’re going to have at least one of the wolves, as well. Probably two.”

  “I see your point,” Tony conceded. “Tell me what you have in mind.”

  “I think it’s time you fuck with his head,” Mitch said.

  “How?” Tony demanded.

  “By killing Quinn.”

  Chapter Twenty

  Quinn had tuned out most of Abby and Jess’ conversation as they walked toward Tah’s room. She wasn’t sure she wanted to see him. She knew he wouldn’t blame her for what had happened, but that didn’t mean the guilt wouldn’t hit her hard. Luckily, for her at least, Tah wasn’t in his room. Jess had followed on Abby’s heels as she’d left to find her errant mate, mumbling the whole way about damn lions and stubborn men who didn’t listen to common sense.

  “Quinn.”

  Her father called her name as she pondered if she should follow Abby and Jess, go look for Amia, or head back to Tony’s and get Emery from Jonah. She still couldn’t believe Mitch had talked her into letting his friend watch Emery while they were gone. But Jonah had been surprisingly good with her son.

  “How’re you feeling?” her dad asked as he joined her. “Any more issues? How’s your side? Everything healing okay? Where’s my grandson? I didn’t see him downstairs with the other kiddos.”

  Quinn laughed. She’d missed her dad’s energy when she’d been gone for so long. She’d missed a lot. Without answering any of his questions, she leaned in and hugged him tight, loving the way he hugged her back even harder. Neither of them said anything. Instead, they both relished the ability to comfort one another.

  “Are you feeling better, my girl?”

  “I’m almost back to a hundred percent again.”

  “Quinn?” he admonished. “You had major surgery, including a cesarean with a partial hysterectomy. You should still be in bed as far as I’m concerned.”

  “If I were human,” she reminded him and watched his gaze grow heavy. “Do
n’t. We can’t go back and change anything.”

  She knew he wished again that Talbot had never gotten his hands on her. That she’d never left. Never become little more than a science experiment for a madman with designs of creating his own shifter. Or so it seemed.

  “You should still take it easy,” her father admonished.

  “Where are you off, too?” she asked, finally noting the bag he must have dropped when she’d initiated their hug.

  “I’m heading over to check on one of the coyote’s mates. She’s close to her delivery date. I promised I’d be by to check on her. It’s her first pregnancy and she’s already had some complications.”

  That was her father. He was an amazing doctor, one who always did what he could for all his patients.

  “How long will you be gone?”

  “Depends on how close she is to delivery. The coyote alpha asked me if I’d check in more often as she approached her due date. I won’t be far, though, and I can be back quickly if you need me.”

  “I always need you, Dad, but I’m not going anywhere. Plus, I can appreciate how much it would mean to her to have you there.”

  “I always need you, too,” he told her, giving her another squeeze followed by a kiss on her brow. “I’ll be back before you know it. Maybe, we can spend some time together, just the three of us. Or four of us as the case may be.”

  “Four,” she agreed with a smile.

  “Four it is. I’ll find you as soon as I get back.”

  “Be safe,” Quinn ordered. “I love you.”

  Her father paused with his hand stretched toward his bag. He pulled it back and hugged her tight again. “I love you, baby girl. I love you so much. I…”

  “It’s okay,” she whispered as he choked up on emotion. His face was wet with tears. “I swear. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be right here waiting when you get back.”

  “See that you are,” he told her, running his hand over her head the way he had when she was a little girl. Then he said the words that had her choking on tears of her own. “Your mother would be so proud of you.”

  “Dad.”

  “She would, and she’d love that gorgeous baby boy of yours.”